Appalachian African-American Cultural Center

The building that once housed the only primary school for blacks in Pennington Gap, Lee County, Virginia, is now the Appalachian African-American Cultural Center. Besides preserving Appalachian black history, it hosts an annual Race Unity Day, houses a library of black literature, and sponsors workshops on racism where blacks and whites can discuss racial issues in a public forum.

Preserving the life stories, history, heritage, culture and events of African Americans in far Southwest Virginia is the mission of the Cultural Center. An excellent example of a one room school house with one teacher coordinating multiple grades, the Cultural Center offers a glimpse of rural education and the culture of the past.